How to Repair Your Irrigation Systems!

Irrigation systems need care after lying dormant during winter.

Now is the time to spring clean your irrigation system from its hibernation during the winter.

We recommend ensuring the ground is ready for Spring. Dig down a metre to check the soil isn’t frozen. If the ground is frozen, your water lines may break from the pressure build-up of water flowing through them while frozen. 

Check your old settings and ensure they’re what you’re after for early Spring, considering they are probably still on last Summer settings. 

If your irrigations battery back-up is more than six months old, this is an excellent opportunity to replace them. 

Cleaning your sprinkler heads is a time-consuming task as you need to inspect each head and valve. Clean the nozzles thoroughly with a brush. An old toothbrush works perfectly. If the valve is blocked, it can result in an uneven spray, overwatering some areas and others not getting enough. 

Now, slowly open the main water valve, emphasis on slowly! If you open the valve too quickly, this can result in a costly mistake, sending a rush of water and air through the system, creating an effect called a “water hammer”. The surge of pressure can crack pipes and break valves. Slowly open the main valve until you hear the water begin to flow, then wait a few minutes for the water to feed into the mainline. Next, open the valve just a few degrees wider every couple of minutes until it’s fully open. Now any dirt and debris should be flushed out of your system. 

Check Your Irrigation Zones 

Now that your system is ready for its first watering of Spring, it’s good to test the irrigation of each zone. Checking the irrigation will ensure that the water goes to the correct place in case any movement occurred over the winter. Using your control panel set sprinklers for a single zone and closely watch to see what adjustments you need to make. You’ll notice malfunctioning sprinkler heads here too. If your sprinkler heads have unusually low pressure, this is often a sign of a water line break. You’ll need to watch for boggy spots in your garden to locate the area of the break. You can only make changes while the sprinkler is off so it will pay to make a note of which nozzles need adjusting. 

Now you’ve cleared your garden of the Winter blues it’s time to let Spring work its magic and rejuvenate your yard. For more helpful information or landscaping, expertise call OnLandscapes on 027 268 5266 or email us at info@onlandscapes.co.nz